CHESHIRE is well on its way to getting its own university following talks between Chester College and Warrington Collegiate Institute.

It has emerged the two seats of learning could merge and operate from both college sites, offering a range of degree and post-graduate courses.

Chester College and Warrington Collegiate Institute have for some time been in discussions over the possibility of a strategic higher education alliance.

The proposed alliance will require the agreement of the Learning and Skills Council for Cheshire and Warrington which oversees the further education currently provided by Warrington Collegiate Institute.

Both Chester College and Warrington Collegiate Institute hope for a successful outcome from these talks, but a spokesman for Chester College stressed much work remains to be done before a final agreement is concluded.

College spokesman Keith Thompson said: 'The intention of this alliance is to strengthen higher education in Chester and Warrington and provide opportunities.

'Chester College has increased its pool of applications to Higher National Diploma and undergraduate programmes by 20% per year over the last four years and has consistently sustained academic quality following subject reviews and inspections by both the Quality Assurance Agency and Ofsted.'

Warrington Collegiate Institute has a 75:25 split between further education and higher education. It is the higher education arm of Warrington which is the subject of this proposed alliance.

Principals at both institutions, Professor Timothy Wheeler at Chester and Hilary Tucker at Warrington, say there will be no job losses or cuts to provision on either campus as result of any merger.

Mr Thompson added: 'This alliance will allow the two institutions to strengthen further recruitment in Cheshire. The two colleges will be publishing a joint prospectus.'

* Chester College is engaged in a bid to acquire the power to award its own degrees.

If the college is successful in this bid, the benefits for Cheshire and Warrington of having a university college with degree-awarding powers will be significant.

A decision on the subject of degree awarding powers is expected next year.